Chapter 37: Full-Force Suppression

Chapter 37 - 37: Full-Force Suppression The wooden sword slashed rapidly toward Hirako Shinji. Hirako Shinji raised his own wooden sword and blocked in front of himself. "Useless struggle!" Kasumioji Gojō had already pictured the scene in his mind—his opponent's wooden sword snapping in half under his strike. Thud— The two wooden swords collided, a dull impact echoing through the swordsmanship room. Kasumioji Gojō's pupils dilated in an instant. He couldn't believe it—his sword hadn't broken Hirako Shinji's! 'Impossible!' 'A filthy peasant from Rukongai—how could he possibly have mastered Spiritual Pressure control so soon after enrollment?!' By mastering Spiritual Pressure control, one could concentrate spiritual energy into the wooden sword, making it sturdier and more powerful. And mastering the Reiatsu Blade technique made the wooden sword even sharper. Kasumioji Gojō had already learned Reiatsu Blade. He should've been able to cut through Hirako Shinji's sword with ease. But now, he felt an extraordinary force coming from that blade. There was only one explanation—Hirako Shinji had already mastered Spiritual Pressure control, and his Spiritual Pressure was no weaker than Gojō's! Hirako Shinji was using his own Spiritual Pressure to reinforce his sword. Watching from below the arena, Katori Nanatsuki wasn't surprised in the slightest. He had already seen the difference in their stats through the Status Interface. [Kasumioji Gojō] [Talent: B+] [Spiritual Pressure: lv23] [Hirako Shinji] [Talent: S] [Spiritual Pressure: lv31] It wasn't until the students started Zanpakutō Meditation Training that their S-rank talents truly began to shine. Over this period, their Spiritual Pressure had grown by leaps and bounds. Hirako Shinji's current Spiritual Pressure was already stronger than that of many low-ranked squad members. With his overwhelming Spiritual Pressure, Hirako Shinji firmly withstood Gojō's strike. Veins popped on Kasumioji Gojō's forehead, his face flushed red as he poured out every ounce of his Spiritual Pressure, trying to overpower the wooden blade. Their blades were locked. If he could just push through, the blade would still strike the opponent's body—that would count as a hit! But things didn't go as he hoped. "Impossible!" Kasumioji Gojō panicked inwardly. Even after unleashing all his Spiritual Pressure, he still couldn't push through. In fact, he was being overpowered by Hirako Shinji instead. He staggered backward, but Hirako pressed forward, keeping him locked in the clash, refusing to give him room to escape. Kasumioji Gojō could only watch in despair as his sword was gradually pushed back. Before long, Gojō's wooden sword was forced to his chest—and Hirako Shinji's blade slid cleanly to his throat. Hirako Shinji, victory! "He actually won! It's been ages since someone this talented came out of Rukongai—Katori-sensei is really lucky!" Danmu Zōsuke remarked with a hint of envy. If nothing went wrong, Hirako Shinji would likely become a seated officer in the future—maybe even a lieutenant. To train a student like that was a source of great pride. "Great swordsmanship too. What a shame—I'm heading off to battle in Hueco Mundo. Otherwise, I'd be trying to recruit him into Squad 11." Asido's eyes lit up, clearly impressed. "Looks like Katori-sensei's swordsmanship is no joke either. No wonder he didn't want to join our Kaido Department," said Yamada with a chuckle, stroking his beard. "Katori-sensei knows Kaido too?" asked Department Head Ushada, puzzled. Ushada Hakugen had short pink hair and a large build. He was the head of the Kidō Department at Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy. "Oh, he's not just decent..." Yamada trailed off, recalling how Unohana Retsu had reminded them not to leak what happened in the Kaido Advanced Class that day. Since neither the teachers nor students present had spoken of it, he refrained from elaborating. "Let's just say his Kaido skills are also top-notch. I even tried recruiting him to our department!" "And I'm standing right here, and you're still talking about poaching my people?" Asido laughed. "If I'd known Katori-sensei was this good at teaching, I would've done everything to bring him over!" Yamada said jokingly. Everyone assumed Yamada was just kidding—but they didn't know he was serious. He truly intended to recruit Katori Nanatsuki, and even hoped the man would succeed him as Head of the Kaido Department after retirement. Sitting off to the side, Tsunayashiro Tokitani stayed silent, his face growing darker. "Hirako Shinji takes two points and wins the match!" After Katori Nanatsuki announced the results, Kasumioji Gojō looked as though all the strength had been drained from him and collapsed onto the platform. "No way... no way..." Gojō muttered repeatedly, unable to accept the outcome. To lose in the first round to a student born in Rukongai—it was a devastating blow to his noble reputation and might even earn him punishment from his clan. After Shinji stepped down, Nanatsuki patted his shoulder and praised him, "Well done. Your timing was on point." Shinji grinned. "It's all thanks to your constant sparring, Sensei. This match was nothing compared to the pressure of fighting you!" Since confirming the date for the autumn exams, Nanatsuki had been squeezing in daily sparring sessions with his disciples—and the results were clear. Their combat instincts had developed rapidly. "Kasumioji Gojō, the match is over. Please leave the stage," Nanatsuki said, looking toward the boy still slumped on the ground. But Gojō didn't respond. He remained collapsed, unmoving. 'Has his life been too easy until now? That's a pretty weak mental threshold...' Nanatsuki frowned slightly. Whoosh— Nanatsuki's eyes narrowed sharply. He had heard something from behind. A sheathed Zanpakutō came flying at high speed toward Kasumioji Gojō. In a flash, Nanatsuki vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Gojō. He clapped his palms together and caught the Zanpakutō with his Blade Catch technique. Even though he stopped the blade, the gust of wind carried by it still slapped Gojō across the face. Nanatsuki turned his head toward the teachers' section—the one who had thrown the Zanpakutō was none other than Tsunayashiro Tokitani. "How long are you going to embarrass yourself? Want me to come drag you down?" Tokitani said coldly. Kasumioji Gojō snapped awake at once. He stared at the hilt inches from his face, engraved with the Tsunayashiro family crest. His heart lurched in panic—he had clearly angered his teacher. Scrambling, he rolled and crawled off the platform. "Tsunayashiro-sensei, I'm not interfering with your disciplinary methods. But please refrain from interfering with the arena matches," Nanatsuki said. In the Soul Society, teacher-student dynamics weren't like those in modern human society—corporal punishment was still a normal form of discipline. So no one would criticize Tokitani for that. "I just want the rest of the matches to proceed smoothly," Tokitani said with clear irritation, nodding briefly. After Gojō left the stage, the next pair of students climbed up. This match, once again, featured students from two different classes— Muguruma Kensei versus Kuchiki Sōjun.